DON'T BE AFRAID....

The best way to give your home warmth is to inject your interiors with your personality. When your friends visit, they will love being surrounded by your colors, your fabrics and textures because they are an open expression of...YOU.

Each piece in your room should contribute to the whole and be a reflection of all that you love. I've said it before... just be yourself and your home will follow. Here's a sketch of a cozy den for a good friend who loves transitional fabrics and bright colors. I'll be posting "after photos" of the real thing soon. The best compliment I receive when I design for someone else is always "this looks just like me." That's how I know I've nailed it!

Fall is in the air!

Being an interior designer, I tend to focus on the interior of a home, but with the wonderful fall colors and cooler temps it is a relief from the hot summer air. My advice, being the inside out! Just because a 'dining' table is always seen in the 'dining' room, it is ultimately meant for good dining no matter where the location is. The fall colors and last of your garden blooms can make a beautiful backdrop. If you are saying, "I don't have a beautiful garden..." Well the easy fix is to just put a cluster of luminaries or candles in glass votive's. The twinkle of candle light can even make dirt look fabulous. Plus your friends will be wowed by the none traditional dining experience to oversee any lack of blooms. So get creative, think beyond the deck and patio furniture and decorate your lawn! You've just gained more usable real estate.

Inspiration of pumpkin

Some people are inspired by great leaders while others are inspired by a close friend. I have to admit, PUMPKIN is my inspiration! When this time of year rolls around and I start seeing the beautiful orange color popping up on porches, my creativity starts flowing. Whether it is cooking, entertaining or designing a room pumpkin finds itself being incorporated.

When starting a project, just think about what makes you happy. Is this a color, vegetable, piece of artwork, favorite necklace and figure out a way to incorporate it into the space.

Pumkin Muffin Toppers are a great welcome gift!

  

DRAPERY 101- Now you Know!

Win, Lose or Draw!

When I work with clients on a project, no matter how small, I try and sketch for them. Sometimes I even hand them the pen and ask them to draw for me, so I can be sure I understand what they mean! I always tell them not to be self conscious about their drawing, just get the basics down and as a visual person, I will immediately "get it" once I see it. In spite of the fact that the English language contains so many word variations for describing something, there's nothing like a picture or a sketch to immediately convey an idea.

Why are people so selfconscious about drawing? Most tell me that they "can't draw." Of course they can, they just may not like the finished product. I'm not asking them to rollerskate, solve a Rubic's cube or speak French. No one's going to get hurt, just take the pen and use a few lines to show me what they have in mind. I don't judge the sketch or give it a grade. It's just a tool to help us communicate. Good drawing skills are like anything else- tennis, bowling or Sudoko...in order to improve, I practice daily to keep my hand fluid and my mind engaged.

Clustering aka collections

Whether you call it clustering or collections, it is when you take one item and multiply it to create more impact. In a economic state where less is more this may apply to purchasing less Precious Moments and kitchen gadgets, but when it comes to making an impression on the wall....multiply!!

Recently I was visiting a friend whom requested help with her mantel. Yes, we could have gone with the typical one mirror over mantel look, but instead we opted for clustering multiple mirrors over the mantel to create much more or a wow affect!!

Let your surrounding walls go bear and focus on one main wall. Whether it is mirrors, plates, pictures etc. clustering definitely makes a statement.

                                         
 
                                                                                                              

Everyone is good at something. I am not good at everything and have decided to accept that and try to improve those things I am good at. My clients benefit from those things at which I excel- color, pattern, scale, texture.

My neighbors suffer for those things I cannot seem to do- planting, growing, trimming and watering. My plants have a much better chance of surviving at the greenhouse and nursery. I visit these places, enjoy them, and leave wishing I could grow and nurture living things. I'll keep trying - as in next year, but in the meantime, I'll concentrate on what I can do well (oil painting, sketching, interior design) and accept the fact that I cannot do everything well.