Durham + Design

Once a thriving hub for the tobacco and textile industries, Durham, North Carolina has gone through many transformations over the years to become the thriving city it is today. Old downtown factory buildings now serve as retail spaces, restaurants, artists studios, and apartments know as the West Village.  Golden Belt, a community within a historic textile mill, also offers living and working spaces targeted to artist types.  Another noteworthy addition to Durham’s cultural and creative aesthetics is the Durham Performing Arts Center, which opened its doors in December 2008, offers live performances including Broadway musicals, comedy shows, and music concerts.  Although Durham’s future was unknown after the close of many factories in the 1930’s, there has been steady growth in the Bull City since the 70’s and 80’s with a catalyst in 2003 when the large-scale renovation of the historic American Tobacco Company commenced.

One successful business in downtown Durham is Heather Garrett Interior Design.  I’ve been working for Heather for a few months and am always inspired while at work.  I keep the shop open on Saturdays for people who pop in to browse the home goods, artwork, and jewelry for sale.  Using cool colors, a clean design, and calming tunes in the background, Heather not only creates a place of business but a creative, tranquil oasis for anyone who comes in.  Heather attended Parsons School of Design in New York, which allowed her to work with top designers.  She “brings a fresh perspective to the creation of uniquely personal interiors, in accordance with the varying style and scope of each project.”  If you are in Durham, be sure to stop by to check out her design work.

My Saturday inspirations:

ReFocus, ReOrganize, Proceed.

I am one of those artists who has multiple projects, a million bodies of work, and several varying styles of art. It’s hard to know what to focus on and how to present the broad scope of what I do. Here’s an idea: REORGANIZE!

Over the next few months, the presentation of my paintings and projects will change slightly. I will be rebranding the designs of Rachel Freeman. This is all still in the works, so several changes could be made including whole new sites, a new domain, etc.  The main agenda is to organize my various projects – blog, paintings, and home decor items – so each is easily understood and read in the virtual world and beyond.  My home decor items are not currently featured on my site but will be launched with the new branding.  These include wine bottle lamps, re-purposed vintage jewelry stands, and more.  I don’t know what will happen or even what each part will look like, but I’m excited!  I hope you are too!

Cheers,
Rachel

Here’s a sneak peak at my most recent art and my handcrafted home decor items.

Painting of Steven Jones

Butterfly Jewelry Stand

The Bedroom…

I’ve completed the bedroom!  Pictures of the completed look from different angles are below.

As a next step from Interior Design, I am now making home decor/furniture items out of old antiques.  You know when you can’t find that perfect table or lamp that only truly exists in your mind?  Well, I am taking those visions and making them reality.  No more month-long searches for the right jewelry stand that matches my room decor.  Now I create projects that allow for customization!

Items include lamps with wine bottle bases, soap dispensers out of glass bottles, tables with window pane tops or wine barrel bases, cork and chalk boards bordered with antique frames, and more.  I will be making various items over the next few months then selling them on my site as soon as I feel I have a good amount of inventory.  These will be original, one-of-a-kind items.  Be sure to check them out!

Interior Design

Lately, I’ve been on a huge interior design kick.  I have been redecorating the bedroom, building furniture, painting furniture, buying the latest design mags, arranging flowers.  It has been quite enjoyable.  A room is similar to a blank canvas.  When filling in the space, you must consider balance, color and how that color is dispersed throughout, composition, and the message or feeling or mood you are trying to convey.  The elements and principles of art still play a major role.  The difference between a room and a canvas is that the room mirrors more of a huge, interactive, tangible installation piece rather than one piece of work that is two-dimensional.  That is what I find so intriguing and exciting.  Creating LARGE pieces of art that are pleasing to the eye, yet provide functional purposes that allow you to move inside of, around, and among the composition.

Bedroom in progress...

Table/desk I made from an old window