The SSI Design Group Portfolio

Missy's Craft Room

2011-07-22T13:17:00.004-04:00

Several months ago I got a phone call from Jeff who wanted to surprise his wife with a new craft room. I had helped Jeff and Missy a few years ago with the many selections they had to make when they were building their house. Jeff wanted this empty room to be totally done and finished while they were out of town so that he could surprise Missy with the end result when they came home.

It took several meetings but I first developed the floor plans and incorporated the things that I would want in such a room were it mine. The beauty of the CAD program that we have is that you can do the layout and then bring it up into a 3D elevation to show my clients exactly what it will look like when completed. Jeff was thrilled and we went ahead and worked with the cabinet people to get the cabinetry done. Furniture had to be ordered; Electrical plans, paint and color selections made.

Below are some of the elevations that convinced Jeff that we were on the right track! Window treatments get installed later this week...check back for the "After" pictures!

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Greensboro's 2010 Chic Chateau Showhouse Tour

2010-08-22T07:35:00.014-04:00

(Graphic Designs for posters done by talented Jacqueline Alvarez: ssijackie@gmail.com)

SSI Design Group designers have been totally immersed in preparations for Chic Chateau 2010...a Triad area showcase home that will be furnished & accessorized with thrift shop and consignment store finds! The project represents SSI's major contribution to charity and involves seven designers...all of whom set out on unpaid missions all over the Triad area to find the perfect furnishings and accessories to complete their assigned rooms. Pertinent information about touring this fabulous showhouse include:

Chic Chateau Showhouse Tour Dates

September 24 thru 26; October 1-3

Open Friday and Saturdays 10AM-6PM

Sundays: 12-5

Admission: $10

House Location: 3702 Stratton Hill Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410

Additional Special Events include:

Pearls & Purses Fashion Show

Tuesday, September 28th 6 PM

Ticket Price: $25

Includes hor d'oeurves & beverage

Courtesy of Pepper Moon Catering

All consigned jewelry and accessories for sale!

Lunch & Learn

Wednesday, September 29th 11AM

Ticket Price $25

Also includes house tour, lunch

Courtesy of Panera Bread

The entire contents of the Chic House are up for sale and benefit the following very worthy Triad area charities:

The Barnabas Network
The Children's Home Society of NC
Habitat for Humanity
Housing Greensboro
Ten Thousand Villages

Some miscellaneous pictures and plans for the house....

A preview of what we have planned for the 2010 Chic Dining Room.... While the recessed niche normally would get used for a china cabinet we have decided to get an old fireplace mantle from a salvage supply...we found one that dates back to 1865.... we stripped off the peeling paint and left enough of the crackled finish to make it look distressed.

We found this Jacobean 1928 vintage dining room table with it's unique stretcher base discarded at a warehouse. Even though the top veneer was lifting we loved the base and set about removing it's mahogony stain from the walnut wood!

A shot of the base as it was being stripped. We used the typical gel-like stripper to remove the old varnish or sealer and then used regular houshold bleach to bring the raw wood to the beautiful grayed, reclaimed wood look. I love the way some of the mahogony finish is left in the fluted grooves giving definition and highlighting the leg style!

And this is the final result... after the top veneer was re-secured there was a harlequin diamond pattern fauxed onto the top! An outstanding transformation that gives an old discarded table new life for many years to come!

The exterior elevation of the R & K Investment Properties craftsman style "Hudson" plan. R & K build amazing houses....their signature features always include fabulous moldings and Master Bedroom sitting areas with fireplaces. See their website at http://www.randkinvestmentproperties.com/

Inspired by the Restoration Hardware's vintage look...complete with the look of grayed oak cabinetry... we worked with kitchen designer Travis at Distinctive Designs http://www.ddicabinetry.com/ located locally in High Point, NC to develop the plans and the look for the custom kitchen.

A view of the Great Room or main living area....It's an open floor plan...great for families and entertaining as you can see in this picture which shows how it connects with the kitchen nook area...

The Dining Room with a recessed niche for a china cabinet... what a smart idea to save on space in a smaller dining room. It's easily do-able when you're building a house and the Dining Room backs up to the garage as this one does...

The foyer entry of the Chic 2010 house.... We worked with the builder to balance out the feel of the window of the door...we're adding molding to simulate shutters on either side of that upper window...a great trick to 'enlarge' a window and to make this two-story foyer feel more balanced! Check back as we'll post another picture with the end result!

A view of of the Master Bedroom as seen from the doorway into Master Bath. This R & K "Hudson" house plan includes a large Master Bedroom as you can see here...complete with fireplace and sitting area!

For more information about Chic Chateau see the Chic Chateau blog at http://www.thechicchateau.blogspot.com/ or call 336.822-2043.

Furnishing a Weekend Getaway!

2010-06-13T07:57:00.008-04:00

With the market now flooded with bank-owned vacation homes and condos several of our clients have been reaping the benefits of the reduced prices! We, in turn, have been fortunate to complete these new havens with beautiful funishings! The pictures that follow are of a recent installation in Sunset Beach, NC....a coastal community north of Myrtle Beach. This view from the dining area of the condo is one of the Intercoastal Waterway heading South. The 1300 acre stretch of marshes and dunes of "Bird Island" (shown on the opposite side of the waterway) provide an important habitat and nesting areas for many endangered species. Local lore has it that sections of Bird Island have become a nude beach....something that is banned in the state of North Carolina. Accessable primarily by boat, you can easily see birds, deer, wild goats and some unusual human sightings!

....a view of the Intercoastal Waterway and Bird Island. The ocean can be seen in the far distance from this fourth floor condominium. According to Wikipedia there is, on Bird Island....slightly hidden among the dunes....a plain rural mailbox which contains an assortment of pens, pencils and notebooks. The outside of the box is marked "Kindred Spirit". Visitors apparently use the notebooks to record special thoughts and sometimes private prayers....allowing them to make public statements in complete anonymity!

Our clients found some beautiful hand-carved birds at a local artisan's shop!

If truth be told, these furnishings were originally planned in 2007.... designed, earmarked and consequently stored....for another Virginia condo that ended up going into foreclosure. It didn't take but one floorplan for us to realize that we could easily adapt everything for this new space. It was and is a happy ending for our beautiful furnishings!

When we first developed these plans back in 2007, navy and white things (believe it or not) were hard to find! We purchased William Sonoma bedspreads and had our workroom repurpose them into panels which take on real Ralph Lauren look! Combined with periwinkle blue, the result is an awesome nautical color scheme for a beach or lake-front home!

Vacation Homes.... Furnishing an Entire House

2010-05-26T11:26:00.005-04:00

These are recent pictures from our job planning, designing, coordinating, ordering and installing a client's Virginia Beach house that overlooks the Chesapeake Bay. The view below is from the Master Bedroom balcony... the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in on the far right...
The completed Living Room...

View of the empty foyer with it's beautiful architectural staircase...

A unique table...two old lobster traps with a piece of glass as the top! Great look!

The pictures below are for "Emily's Bedroom". Emily wanted a black and white color scheme accented with some bright lime green. We used some of the great patterned ready-made sheer panels and had our work-room embellish them with some black & white check fabric! We think it's a great teen haven!

A great Charleston Forge Table with a fossil stone top! Cute accent for this bedroom!

Below are some pictures taken during the whole-house installation as it progressed during the two days we were there...

Our New SSI Design Group Picture!

2010-05-26T11:24:00.001-04:00

Talent Abounds in Everyone!

2010-03-26T07:03:00.006-04:00

L to R: Anne Bell Woods, Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell, Melinda Bell Dickey, Beth Bell

We got this wonderful email the other day from one of our senior staff designers, Melinda Bell Dickey, that her mother had sculpted this beautiful bust of General Andrew Lewis, a Civil War patriot. The bust was officially installed this week in the Virginia House of Delegates at the state capitol in Richmond, Virginia.

Mel wrote: "The bust is just stunning, especially in person, and the overwhelming significance of what this means is so very evident when you are standing in this historically relevant room. The bust will be in the old house chamber in a space that has been waiting for this bust since 1932! It is the very room where General Robert E. Lee took his commission....a room designed by Thomas Jefferson....and of course for a designer that is prettty amazing in and of itself"!

While Anne Bell Woods, the talented mother of Melinda, and indeed the creator of this amazing work of art is not someone with whom we have a personal relationship, I am pleased that she is someone connected in some fashion to SSI. And that amazement is not because we want to somehow tag onto her prestigious honor but serves as a reminder that anyone...virtually anyone...can achieve wonderous things if we follow our dreams, our instincts and our inspirations.

Congratulations go out to Anne and to proud Melinda! You inspire us to be all that we can be!

Haitian Relief Efforts

2010-01-16T10:03:00.001-05:00

Sometimes what we as interior designers do seems so superfluous, especially when viewed relative to what has happened in Haiti this week. Working primarily within the borders of the USA, and in the more defined areas of North Carolina and Virginia we have often had those moments where a client will tell us that our talents have changed their lives for the better; that their house functions better for their families, and that their new rooms make them feel special in their own house.

But the Haitian earthquake leaves many of us who have the fortune of working with color, and with design, and with America’s affluent, feeling helpless. How do you separate what we do on a day-to-day basis with the primitive, impoverished pre-quake conditions of a country like Haiti? More importantly, how do you justify our regal lifestyles, our state-of-the-art medical care, our safe neighborhoods, and our comparatively docile lifestyle with the daily happenings in Haiti since the quake occurred?

Basically we don’t and we cannot. But we can help in every way we can…and right now that is with our donations and with our prayers because that is all that we can do from afar. SSI Design Group will donate 10% from our sales for furnishings and accessories and from our hourly fees for the next 30 days to the relief efforts in Haiti. Join us in the efforts to relieve the suffering… donate to your local Red Cross and offer up your prayers for the children and all of those caught in the despair in Haiti.

SSI 2009 Year-End Party

2010-01-10T08:01:00.007-05:00

SSI recently celebrated our 2009 year with a wonderful dinner at Bravo's in Greensboro! While we were missing a couple of our favorite designers, all that attended had a great time! We honored Gina Alem and Melinda Dickey with their "Designer of the Year" designations for 2008 & 2009 respectively; and our design intern/assistant Jackie Alvarez for her creative graphic contributions for the Chic Chateau ticket, poster and program design.

Rhino Times Article 10-15-09

2009-10-17T20:44:00.016-04:00

Check it out....

The Results of our "Chic Chateau" Showhouse Tour

2009-10-17T16:57:00.016-04:00

Click here to see pictures of Chic Chateau...

The Chic Chateau Showhouse Tour

2009-08-09T08:02:00.023-04:00

Lowes Foods

Allen Tate/Smith Marketing

Graphic Visuals

Clear Channel Radio

(99.5 WMAG, 104.1WTQR, 105.7KISS FM)

designers from

The SSI Design Group, Inc.

are pleased to present

The Chic Chateau Showhouse

.... A hometour and furnishings sale... the proceeds of which will benefit four great Triad area charities.... Habitat for Humanity; Housing Greensboro, The Barnabas Network and the Second Harvest Food Bank.

D. Stone Builders Southern Gates Community

2617 Southern Gates Drive

Greensboro, NC 27410
.....located off New Garden Road behind Triad Sign Guys..

Open Friday thru Sundays

September 11 through the 20th

Hours: Friday & Saturdays: 10 AM ~ 6:00 PM

Sundays: 12 Noon ~ 6:00 PM

Admission: $7.00 at the door

$5.00 with the purchase of advance tickets & a can of food.

*******

All Items for sale during the show; available for pick-up at tour end. Mark your calendars and plan to attend this unique showhouse tour....most furnishings and accessories will be coming from thrift and antique stores, consignment shops or salvage yards!

*******

Recycle! Renew! Re-purpose!

*******

Participating Designers: Gina Alem; Melinda Bell Dickey; Sonja Healy; Jan McLamb; Lisa Medder; Sherry Sarine; Lynn Tester. Design Intern: Jackie Alvarez.

Eastern Shore of Virginia Installation

2009-06-09T20:29:00.017-04:00

Our travels often take us to more remote places...like Massachusetts, Florida, the ski slopes of Utah...all places where various SSI designers have done vacation homes.

This week we completed what will be a vacation home just north of the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel. This Dutch Colonial home was built on the water in 1985 with beautiful southwest views of the Cherrystone Inlet

The Junior League of Greensboro's 2009

2009-05-09T21:34:00.006-04:00

SSI was approached last fall to particpate in the 2009 Junior League of Greensboro's Designer Showhouse. This is one of the Junior League's major fundraisers held every two years where local designers are selected to design, furnish and decorate a particular area of the house.

This year's grand home is located in historic Irving Park area of Greensboro, having been built across from the community golf course in 1925. Changes and additions were made to the home in the '40's and 50's and now again this year. Mr. & Mrs. Hock, the new owners, have converted a detached garage to a Guest house and pool cabanna and added a swimming pool. The magnificient grounds and gardens mirror the beautiful surrounding area of Greensboro's Country Club.

The Junior League of Greensboro 2009 Designer Showhouse
304 Irving Place (in Old Irving Park)
Open to the public May 1-17, 2009

(Click on each picture to enlarge...then hit 'back' to return to blog).

Junior League of Greensboro 2009 Showhouse, The Before Pictures

2009-05-09T20:41:00.008-04:00

Mr. Hock (Homeowner) and a member of the Junior League

SSI's Sonja contemplating what to do!

Kevin Fogleman generously donated his services to add built-in accessory & book shelves in this area. Difficult to see but there is a consealed doorway to the left of Kevin. This leads to a Master Bedroom wing added back in the 50's. This was an awkward area as there were stairs that seemed to lead to nowhere.

Our plan: Change the "Get Smart" doorway to a frosted glass 15 lite door; and to add book and accessory shelves to the right which would then fill the second of the two steps to 'nowhere'!

Jackie, our UNCG intern, Mrs. Hock (the new homeowner) and Melinda, one of our SSI designers.

Junior League of Greensboro 2009 Showhouse, The After Pictures

2009-05-09T20:19:00.016-04:00

Pictures taken after the new wallpaper , new light fixtures and new bookcases installed.

The Opening Night Gala & the SSI Group that participated...

Lisa, Melinda, Sherry, Gina and Sonja

Southern Ideal Home Show, March 2009

2009-05-09T15:06:00.005-04:00

The Southern Ideal Home is an event that is held every Spring at the Greensboro Coliseum. The local AIDP (Association of Interior Design Professionals) of which SSI is a member, elicits local designers to take one of eight 10 x 12' spaces that is constructed in a street-scape inside the Coliseum's Special Events Center and set up a room capable of giving attendees ideas about home decorating and design. Our SSI room this year was "Cottage Retreat"..... a vacation-inspired room suitable for a beach or a lake home.

We painted the plywood floor in large beige and white diamonds; the local Pella Windows store gave us real windows for our "room"; we scoured a local antique store and rented an iron gate which we used as interior shutters; borrowed a rug from our local Carpet One by Henry showroom (Thanks Jeff & Henry!); took accessories and furnishings out of our inventory. Probably the thing that got the most interest was our glass-topped lobster-trap cocktail table... a great conversation-piece that belongs to Jan. All in all, it was a great opportunity to meet and talk with new prospective clients.

Designers: Jan, Melinda, Lisa, Courtney, Sonja, Lynn & Sherry

Condominium Sales Offices & Design Center, Moneta, VA

2009-02-12T20:30:00.007-05:00

Greensboro Commercial Installation

2009-02-12T20:13:00.005-05:00

Miscellaneous Pictures

2009-01-10T16:16:00.009-05:00

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-16T09:11:00.000-05:00

The Stone Ridge Clubhouse ~ Fayetteville, NC

2008-11-11T12:48:00.008-05:00

SSI Named The #`1 Interior Design Firm in the NC Triad Area!

2008-11-04T16:52:00.003-05:00

Miscellaneous Fun Times with SSI Design Group Members!

2008-11-04T15:23:00.020-05:00

Twins??? No, but how often do two SSI designers show up in the office in the same/similar outfits??? Lynn & Gina....great minds think alike!

Celebrating Lisa's birthday this summer...Susan with us in spirit and with frosting all over her face!

Mel and her four-legged "Spike". (They go to the same stylist!) SSI is dog and children friendly!

Jackie, our "UNCG Intern Extraordinaire", hanging art at the Preserve Clubhouse Installation!

The new Statue of Liberty!

Now, how does this go together? Marsha hard at

work....

Lisa reading the directions!

Loading Up to head home!

Miami Condo

2008-10-13T16:28:00.004-04:00

Bellingham Park Condos, Wilmington, NC

2008-10-12T21:53:00.005-04:00

Top Sail Island Landing Condominiums

2008-10-08T16:50:00.003-04:00

The Preserve at West View Model Apartment, Greer, SC

2008-07-27T22:26:00.013-04:00

The Preserve at West View Clubhouse; Greer, SC

2008-07-27T20:18:00.014-04:00

The Reception Area

The Clubroom...Missing the Flatscreen TV on the wall above the table & chairs.

This is the Business Center of the apartment complex. It's missing the flat screen TV that will hang on the wall above the coffee bar.
More pictures of the Business Center...It's a spot where there is wireless internet connections and where residents can bring their lap tops to check email, surf the web, etc.

Leasing Offices

2008-07-27T20:13:00.000-04:00