June 24, 2022
Sorority House Design by J. Banks
The exterior of the Delta Gamma Sorority House at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
The exterior of the Delta Gamma Sorority House at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
As we are cooped up with our loved ones by our side, some closer than others, making a plan to discover your design style for your home can be a great way to not only pass the time, but create a productive activity for all. Whether you are searching for an escape, finding ways to incorporate time with those under one roof or simply keep the brain engaged with the outside world, figuring out your design style is important. Our surroundings tend to create a mood that many times we are not aware of; creating an environment that sets the tone for a positive mood is even more key right now.
Joni Vanderslice and members of the J. Banks Design Group team traveled to Paris in January to attend Maison et Objet and Paris Deco Off, two of the international design community’s most inspirational shows. While we saw many beautiful new products and attended some incredible events, the highlight of the trip was the launch of the J. Banks Collection for Holland & Sherry Rugs. We welcomed members of the Press, industry colleagues and design enthusiasts to the Rue de l’Echaude showroom for an opportunity to meet Joni, see the rugs and learn about our collaboration with Holland & Sherry.
Inspired by rustling palm leaves, rushing water, and the trellis patterns of her native South Carolina Lowcountry to the more exotic and often visited Tanzania, Joni has brought these themes to her first rug collection: the J. Banks Collection for Holland and Sherry. This intermingling of local and international brings an excited familiarity that truly embodies the J. Banks Design Group’s philosophy of bringing the resort experience to our projects. Created with hospitality and performance in mind, these 11 designs are available in several different rug qualities that stand up to the functionality required for commercial settings as well as high traffic areas in the home.
Made-to-order, each rug can be crafted using different techniques and materials depending on the functionality required:
We are so thankful our incredible partners at Holland & Sherry as well as the many friends and colleagues who came out to support us.
About Holland & Sherry: Well known for sumptuous fabrics, Holland & Sherry has developed collections which range from custom embroidery, rugs, wall-covering and trim, to leather, hardware and lighting. Every item they produce reflects their core values of quality and craftsmanship.
The guest room in our home gets lots of use. Not only do we enjoy entertaining, we love to host friends both old and new. In our design work, the guest room is a place that we can focus our attention to detail to help our clients create lasting memories for their friends and family. In a word, hospitality is the gift of making people feel as truly welcome and cared for as they do at home—and even more so. When family and friends come to visit for an overnight or longer, it is so nice to provide them with all the essentials for a happy, memorable stay, and some thoughtful luxuries too. The world’s great resorts and hotels do that as a matter of course, which is where I believe this crossover story starts.
Interior by Sharon Cleland
In a guest room, as elsewhere, thinking about how the space is meant to function helps me to determine what furnishings and accessories to include. Beside the bed, I always make sure to have a place to set a glass and a bottle or carafe of water. I want people to feel comfortable using it, so I’ll make sure there is a coaster or something comparable handy. When possible, a bedside table that is large enough to accommodate a reading lamp, a guest’s reading glasses, a book, and even a box of tissues makes the room feel homey. Optimally, the bottom of the lampshade or wall sconce should be 20 inches above the bedside table or mattress. The smallest of details all layer to create a welcoming experience.
Successful interior design is all about getting each of the elements in a room to work well together while still standing out and making an individual impact. Nowhere is this more apparent than in layering texture in a room. The following are Joni’s thoughts on layering texture:
“Layering texture in interior design is most successful when it activates and pleases all the senses. We respond to a design first with our eyes, of course, but the quality of touch is just as important. The relationship between the two is fascinating. As a designer, I know that the eye longs for elements that break up the continuity or sameness within our field of vision. For me, that ability to interrupt the continuity is texture’s purpose and function.
The most dynamic and livable interiors include artworks and collections. They are not confined to furnishings of any singular look or period combining personal pieces and art works that vary in period, shape, form, color or culture and arranging them harmoniously creates interest, timelessness and in some cases a bit of whimsy. Interiors are deeply personal and by layering artwork and collections tell the stories of the people who inhabit them. J. Banks Design Founder and President, Joni Vanderslice , includes the following chapter in her monograph, Southern Coastal Living.
We are so very fortunate with our climate in the South, especially along the coast, which permits relaxed, indoor-outdoor living bringing us into nature on a daily basis. Many native species of flora and fauna flourish in this part of the country, where gardens are the passion of many. Our harbors and the ocean are so full of bounty and beauty. On Hilton Head Island, where development is planned and much of the land protected, our indigenous wildlife has a safe home. How we interact with the outdoors, how we extend our living and entertaining spaces beyond the walls of our houses, how we ease ourselves into the landscape are questions my designers and I think through with every home that we work on, including our own.
In almost every home that we do now, the men want one room that is their own designated domain: a place where they can get away to, concentrate, watch a football game. They always want these personal spaces to reflect their interests: golf, boats and the nautical life, travel, whatever it may be. Part of the fun for me is pulling that information out of them. Watching them settle in once the rooms are complete is such a pleasure. They really use their rooms. Usually, they cannot wait to show off their space to their friends and visiting family members.
There have been many changes at the Valentine Children’s Home in the past year. In working with the new Bishop of Dar Es Salaam and his administration, along with the amazing community and church, the Valentine Project is positioned to best benefit the children.
J. Banks Design Group’s President Joni Vanderslice and Melissa Mittag, Director of Brand Management, traveled to Paris last month for Paris Design Week to attend Maison et Objet and Paris Deco Off, two of the international interior design community’s most inspirational shows. To have an international perspective elevates the level of design we are able to create and serves to inspire the entire J. Banks Design Group team.
