PROFILE-The Interior Design Issue, February 2012

DESIGNER: Deborah Chatfield | Chatfield Design

Photography Trent Bell

This Space, This Way:

Deborah Chatfield’s design studio is a source of inspiration and creativity for her clients as much as it is for herself. With that in mind, she sought to create an organized, functional space where everything can be seen in natural light and there is ample work space to lay out fabrics and wallpaper books. Her penchant for French furniture plays well with the industrial vibe of the space, creating a look that she had never tried before.

“I carefully balanced the hardness of the industrial pieces with the warmth of the fabric sample library, dedicating the entire wall to fabric alone. Adding a massive industrial table and stools serves to anchor the wall of the sample library. The reclaimed wood seat on the industrial stool base was another way to soften the hard edges,” she explains.

On the opposite all-brick wall, she added an eighteenth-century French buffet à deux corps. “The height and natural beauty of this fruitwood piece complement the fabric library wall, creating balance between the two. Adding a little bit of green with the ferns goes a long way toward softening the hard edges as well.”

Signature Style:

“I love blending unlike objects to create an individual look for each and every client. I like the unexpected, and my philosophy has always been about the ‘wow’ factor. I’m also all about making a room look larger than it is.”

Trick of the Trade:

“To create warmth, height, and drama, I add tall pieces of furniture, paint the walls and ceiling the same color, and hang drapes close to the ceiling.”

The Goods:

Industrial table & stairs: by Matthew Robinson, from Trifles
Antique French buffet à deux corps: Pierre Deux, pierredeux.com
Wingback chairs: Bobo Intriguing Objects, bobointriguingobjects.com
Vintage elementary school lesson plans: by artist Brian White, Ten High Street, tenhighstreet.com
Pedestal: Marston House, marstonhouse.com
Vintage clock: James Lea Clockmaker, jamesleaclocks.com
Coffee table: vintage Hungarian gypsy
Wagon wheel iron base: Benjamin Leavitt Metalworker, benjaminleavitt.com
Glass top: Camden Glass, camdenglass.com

For More: chatfielddesign.com