Lisa Teague began her design career as a decorative house painter. In time, her keen eye for color and instinct for space evolved into a full-service interior design studio. Of utmost importance to Teague is creating an environment that is reflective of the homeowner as well as comfortable.

Teague blends her flair for the artistic with thoughtful design choices that lend character and integrity to the décor. Teague is especially good at identifying existing furnishings or decorative items that can be repurposed with a touch of creativity and color. “My designs are a bit eclectic. I like to throw in something unexpected,” she says. “There is usually something modern in an antique home or something antique in a modern space.”

Teague’s aesthetic leans coastal in color and style, a nod to her seacoast community of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Although she works beautifully with any desired look, her own surroundings tend to influence her work. “I feel respectful of the environment I’m in and most of my work is on the seacoast and northern New England now,” she says. “When you’re doing a home, your interior landscapes, looking from room to room, are important, but you’re also looking at the exterior and it’s important to me to reflect that.”

Our New England climate also comes into play when Teague conceptualizes a room. She likes to layer textures and color that make sense whether it’s 90 degrees outside or a day suited to “reading a book with a warm comforter around you, drinking tea and watching the ocean turn gray.”

No matter the scope of project, Teague believes in making smart and sustainable design choices. This ideology led to the development of her own line of VOC-free, solvent-free and pesticide free organic paints. She and her daughter Andrea produced Quiet Home Paints featuring the popular Quiet Nursery Collection. This came in response to Teague’s own health issues suffered as a result of long-term exposure to toxic paints.

Quiet Home Paints. Photo courtesy of Lisa Teague.

The idea for Quiet Home Paints originated during one of Teague’s regular trips to Africa to help families in need. At the time, Teague was beautifying libraries and rooms for children and her idea for non-toxic paints blossomed. “I wanted it to be a healthy product that people felt comfortable having in their home,” she says.

Teague’s visits to Kenya and The Rift Valley Children’s Village in Tanzania are very close to her heart. She’s is also on the board of directors of Education for All Children, a non-profit organization providing education to Kenyan youth.

Lisa Teague with two of the many children she has worked with at The Rift Valley Children’s Village in Campi Nairobi, Tanzania.

Next up for Teague? Ongoing work with design clients as well as a fundraising trip to climb Mount Kenya. “You get a lot more than you give,” she says. “What you put in in pennies, you get back in pounds.”

Lisa Teague–Interior Designer
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
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Top image: a dining room designed by Lisa Teague. All photos courtesy of Lisa Teague

The post Designs for Healthy, Beautiful Homes appeared first on Take Magazine.

Curious about what it might be like to live in a smart home? Fascinated by wearable art? Interested in architecture and the future of design? Boston Design Week 2017 has something for everyone interested in exploring how design infuses our lives.

Actually 12 days long, Boston Design Week 2017 is in year four. Last year’s event had more than 70 participants, in 84 different events, in nine Boston neighborhoods, and 10 cities and towns in the greater Boston area. The intent of the “week”—March 29th-April 9th this year—is to explore and illustrate the vital role design plays in our lives.

Image from Coded Couture | Curated by Judith Hoos Fox

Tony Fusco, whose company, Fusco & Four/Ventures, LLC  Boston, is co-producing the event, says New England offers a unique design perspective. “I think there is a very interesting dichotomy going on in the world of design in New England,” he says. “On the one hand, we see an increasing number of artisans and craftspeople who are focused on creating individual works, fashion, furniture, and other design and decorative arts with a handmade aesthetic. Not only are we seeing a strong increase in custom-made design, but also, increasingly, that design is being done fully cognizant of the impact on the environment, sustainable or renewable resources, and the desire to create and do no harm.”

The well-conceived schedule of Boston Design Week 2017 is in keeping with the theme of form and function. The daily calendar makes planning your visit(s) easy. A few events that caught our eye include the four Kick-Off events on March 29th, one each in Back Bay, Fort Point, South End, and Metro West. The Fort Point Channel kick-off event features the non-profit Artists for Humanity hosting an open studio, showcasing the works of art and design by the teenagers hired to work in the design profession in their much-lauded organization.

10th Anniversary AD20/21: Art & Design of the 20th and 21st Centuries and the Boston Print Fair

The design-intensive week sticks the landing with AD20/21: Art & Design of the 20th & 21st Centuries and The Boston Print Fair held at The Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts, a ticketed gala to celebrate Boston Design Week and benefit Design Museum Boston. This curated show will feature nearly 50 vanguards in the fields of modern to contemporary fine art and design. Jonathan Leo Fairbanks, director of the contemporary Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts, will be honored as the 2017 Lifetime Achievement recipient. Down in Rockland at the Roomscapes Cabinetry and Design Center’s massive showroom, you can pair wine with chocolate as you cruise their high-quality interiors and dream about the perfect kitchen on April 3rd, 4:00-7:30 PM. They’ve also partnered with Brenda Taylor, art curator and consultant for Liquid Art House, with a gallery of her picks. Event is free, but an RSVP is requested.

Boston Design Week – art and design show and events
Boston, Massachusetts
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Top image – Builder: FBN Construction | Architect: David Mullen

The post Boston Design Week 2017: Living by Design appeared first on Take Magazine.