Consistent with most of her redecorating projects, Gen’s...
Transcript of Consistent with most of her redecorating projects, Gen’s...
Design Solutions the Gen Way
ProblemA girly bedroom in pastel hues and saccharine-sweetflorals puts a cramp in therecent engagement of a fun-loving, 20-something Missouri couple.
A gender-friendly love nestwhere hard edges and leatherstraps mingle with luscious red roses, deep earthy walls,and a favorite painting of asexy pink lady in a big,Baroque gold frame.
A Colorado couple with apassion for food andentertaining long for a kitchenwith more zest than the blandwhite and gray palette they’vecooked up.
Bright plum wine walls basedon the colorful heart of anartichoke speak “vigor, food,life” against the soft, faded,leaf green of vanilla-sagecabinets and black accents ofappliances, pots, and pans.
None. Nada. Zip.
A Scrabble
The romanceof gauchos(cowboys of theArgentine pampas)
An artichoke
(boiled and peeled)
A cavernous bedroom in a NewOrleans neighborhood ofrecent construction needs a“big easy” dose of one-of-a-kind character.
So-so shabby chic. LamentsGen, “Without an inspirationpoint, I felt like I was mockinga style that already existed.Not my favorite room.”
With a big TV and a floatingkeg refrigerator, a Philadelphiahusband’s basementsanctuary looks more like acollection of his wife’sthrowaways than his ownfunctional, masculine style.
A man’s play station inhandsome taupes and brownsfeaturing painted grids, a wall-length wet bar, framedgameboards, and “triple wordpoint” pillows made by sewingblack stars onto pink pillows.
SolutionInspiration
What do a gorgeous garnet ring, a steaming bowl of Thai chicken soup,and a box of Cuban cigars all have in common? They’ve all inspiredGen’s room designs. Some other unlikely inspiration sources:
with what she says felt like 3,000, but in the middle of a crowd, she
knew deep inside that the moment was hers.
Now on the road for Trading Spaces every month, Gen has her own
reality-based platform to break down that old TV stereotype of interior
decorators. Her greatest pet peeve? Rooms that are all image and no
comfort. “That’s what makes design look petty,” she argues. Meaningful
design to her mind is “experiential.” It means embracing memories and
passions and dissecting them for hints of color, form, smells, and
texture: Remembering an island honeymoon, for instance, and asking
yourself, “What color of blue was that water?”
A strong desire to savor a moment is what drove Gen to blindfold
one of her little brothers on his sixteenth
birthday and drive him to Niagara Falls,
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game board
I’ll have the soup du jour with a touch of modern sophistication, please. Consistent with most of her redecorating projects, Gen’s designfor this Washington, D.C., living room had an unusual inspiration—a steaming bowl of Thai noodle soup. The warm yellow walls andwindow treatments hint at a savory broth; the wicker ottomans, framed art, and sisal floor coverings mimic the tight texture of thenoodles. Throw in a dash of red and russet pillows for spice, and the result is a room that hits the spot.
I think it’s important whenever you do something that’s remotelyhip…that you are able to update. Otherwise you’re stuck in
something that becomes very passé.“ ”revealing the spectacular scene before him
at the exact minute of his birth. “Gifts are
gifts, but a sight like that will stay with
you forever,” she beams. Her passion also
fuels an almost evangelical drive to make
audiences take a utility knife to their
family photos—an integral part of almost
all Gen’s rooms. The majority of episodes
feature Gen cropping or manipulating a
homeowner’s snapshots, inspired by the
conviction that a whole scene is not half as
resonant as an enlarged look at the corner
of someone’s smile.
Children’s art also fuels her creativity
because it’s authentic. Thinking like an adult is
limiting, according to Gen, whose goal is to
approach objects and materials with the same
Yes, she really does work this way! Before Gen even sees a Trading Spaces room she’ll bedesigning, she marks up photos of the room with black marker, numbering each“problem area.” She then tackles each problem by offering a specific solution in hernotes. Numbered sketches detail graphic solutions.
before
after
The homeowners of this living room were not afraid ofbold color—they just needed to unify the room’s look.Gen’s selection of bold Scandinavian hues now hasvisual “pop” against snow white woodwork and trim.
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”Conversation with Gen could get interesting. She asked me whatmy name would be if I were a girl. —Brad Loftus (Indiana: River Valley Drive)“ sense of play that allows a 6-
year-old to invent 100
games from the same
cardboard box. This
approach is what made
Gen see a man’s tie as
a curtain tieback (a
pun, no less); it’s also
how she got the idea to
turn a tall shelving unit
on its side and add wheels
to create a mod coffee table. “I
hate shopping,” she laments while speeding up her cart
and jumping on to catch a brief ride. “It’s just not
creative. You’re always working from what’s in front of
you rather than from your imagination.”
Staying open to inspiration means being flexible. Gen’s
own apartment walls have seen five colors during the last
four years. She rearranges her furniture often. At the
moment, her favorite color is a desert red, warm and
almost orange. She saw it first in Morocco and recognized
it again while driving through New Mexico. A self-
proclaimed gypsy, Gen spends her downtime either
traveling or planning her
next big trip. Prague is
next, or maybe Cuba.
Though not an avid
souvenir collector, she
has a small bull
collection that includes a
special find taken from a
Barcelona wall. Instead of
tearing off the latest bullfight
Back to the hotel after a long day taping another episode
advertisement, she patiently chipped away at its edges to
remove layer upon layer of posters at one time. They
now hang stuck together on her apartment wall as an
archaeological homage to the traditional Spanish pastime.
As for what Genevieve may attempt tomorrow, all
you can expect is to be surprised. The only designer to
don roller skates in order to paint a ceiling, Gen enjoys
how Trading Spaces has given her the freedom to
grow and expand her own design studio (self-named gg
Studios). Her own line of hip greeting cards is a
success, and she has big hopes for a new line of blue
jeans. Others might consider Gen a dabbler in different
industries, but she sees continuity in every venture.
Asked by a college freshman what design classes she
should take for a career like Gen’s, Gen answers,
“Study everything—not just design but history,
languages, math—and travel. Be a strong person; then
you can be a strong designer.”
Travel
Children’s Art
Often overlooked, it’s the first part of a room to affect yourbrain’s level of happiness-inducing serotonin. Kill the overheador add a dimmer switch. Think accent lamps and sconces.
From romantic silver to sleek chrome, every room needs a little polish.No metal in sight? Buff some cream-based metallic polish on anything that ticklesyour fancy.
No, not that stiff, cucumber pose you strike in front of monuments to document tripsto distant cities; instead, snap and frame artful remembrances of defining lines,curves, and experiences.
Crop it, frame it—and face it, it’s usually more imaginative than anything an adultmind could conceive.
Stay in one place your whole life and what have you got? One palette. Keep on themove and on the lookout for inspiration and color.
Lighting
Metals
Quick and easy tricksto perk up yourrooms.Gen’s Top 5 Mood Enhancers
Photography
Off-camera, candy-red heels put a bounce in her step.
95On the set, Gen is fun-loving but focused. Meeting fans, shopping fordynamite accessories, filming how-to segments, and swapping designerhorror stories with Edward are all part of the daily grind.