Benched

Benches and stools are the must haves du jour. And they come in multiples! A pair flanking a coffee table. A singleton tucked under a console. His and hers at the foot of the master bed. Extra seating, extra surface, easy to relocate! SEE MORE Need help? Just ask Jeeves. Contact Karl (kfriberg@motif-designs.com) or Mark

The White Way

Clear lustrous white and milky white is turning up again on all manner of furniture: beds, side tables, chairs, bureaus. While the milky white finishes speak of Swedish country, it is the clear glossy whites that we are all craving. It just looks so fresh and clean and new and right. SEE MORE Need help?

“Winter Pick-Me-Ups” by Lyn Peterson

It’s winter. It’s interminable. It’s the kind of weather that makes me not want to leave the house, specifically the fireside. Nor do I want to be too far from the remote. All of that whining, due I am sure, to a shortage of Vitamin D; the lack of daylight hours is leaving me bereft.

“Commitment Issues” by Lyn Peterson

We live in a lovely spot—as the French would say, endroit—but the truth is, many of our Westchester homes are old-ish, built in the post WW II boom or prior to. Kitchens are isolated and oft decrepit. Living rooms are not for the living. Need I say more? My customers are realizing that the costs

“Cheers to a Stylish 2019” by Lyn Peterson

As the new year approaches we all face the ritual of resolutions, personal and professional. In the interest of an improve 2019, here are my favorite, if somewhat random, mantras and bon mots to make your design life chicer, or at the very least easier. THE REAL PET SMART. Ideally, the dog should match the

The Best Seat in the House

Indoor entertaining season is fast approaching. If you’re going through all the trouble of styling up the house and setting places, why not invite a crowd? Pull up a chair from Motif Designs’ diverse, stylish and always comfortable offerings—arm chairs, side chairs, bar and counter stools—from the crowd pleasing Baron to the uber cool Daniel.

“Market Day” by Lyn Peterson

Twice yearly, like lemmings, we descend on High Point, North Carolina for the biannual furniture market; we being furniture retailers, e-tailers, designers, architects, sales reps and furniture showrooms. The population of this once-populous town, decimated by offshore production, virtually doubles, swelling from 100,000 to almost 200,000. It’s a real scene. We’re all sporting our market

“The Big Refresh” by Lyn Peterson

I know, I know. It seems counterintuitive. This is the time of year I should be layering up for fall—adding cozy throws and comfy pillows. But this year, somehow, I find I am stripping away. Well, maybe not so much actual removing but rather tidying, organizing, collating, editing, refreshing. The three grey urns that rested

“Crushing on My Clients” by Lyn Peterson

I have the best clients. Smart, resourceful, and curious. Of course, I’m happy to guide, edit and inspire the design, but I also love when a customer steers her own course. The best relationships are symbiotic. We educate one another. My clients teach me how we live today—how we want to live, how we need

“Going Small” by Lyn Peterson

Drive down any street and you’ll see a trend I am not a fan of—charming smaller homes being torn down willy-nilly, replaced with places that positively sprawl. While the McMansion phase is waning, especially in Westchester where building departments reign in developers, the average American new build home is still nearly three times the size